Man admits to running $800,000 carder ring

A Brooklyn man has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for his role in an operation that defrauded credit card issuers of almost $800,000 in bogus charges.

Jonathan Oliveras, 26, also pleaded guilty to wire fraud and admitted to managing scheme to purchase stolen credit card information from people in Russia and then passing it along at a profit or using it to make illegal purchases himself.

Oliveras frequented online bazaars where credit card fraudsters gathered to buy and sell stolen account information, according to a statements of facts filed this week in US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, that bears his signature. His ring typically received $500 to $2,000 for a sale of stolen data.

He also emailed co-conspirators detailed instructions on how to use the stolen account data to make fraudulent purchases, an enterprise that typically paid 50 percent of the total fraud. To cover his tracks, he used a voice over IP phone with an overseas number and multiple online identities.

When his residence was raided in July 2010, FBI and Secret Service agents recovered data for 2,341 stolen accounts on his computer and on the magnetic stripes of cards, according to court documents. Credit card issuers reported $770.674.76 in fraudulent charges.

Sentencing in the case is scheduled for October 28. Oliveras faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines. ®